Fall Coaches - Harrison Central School District

About HCSD Arts

HCSD's Fine and Performing Arts Department affords all students the opportunity to study music, visual art, dance, and theatre, providing every child with experiences that promote life-long participation and enjoyment of the arts. We embrace the cooperative work of parents, teachers, students, and the community, and are invested in a collaborative approach to support student development and success.

About HCSD Athletics

The Harrison Athletics program is built on the principles of Rigor, Development, Communication, and Accountability. Harrison coaches work to develop programs based on communication, clear expectations, ongoing feedback, accountability and developing self-advocacy in our student athletes. We are committed to meeting the standards of high expectation and maximum effort on and off the field.

Fall Season Varsity Coaches

Football

	Jay Ciraco, Head Coach ciracoj@harrisoncsd.org Coach Ciraco brings 17 years of experience coaching high school football at the Varsity level to the Harrison Husky Football Program. Mr. Ciraco teaches physical education at Louis M. Klein Middle School and also coaches Girls Varsity Basketball at Harrison High School. A three sport varsity athlete as an HHS student, Coach Ciraco also played Division 1 baseball. An accomplished athlete, respected teacher and dedicated coach, Mr. Ciraco serves as a mentor to student athletes and exemplifies the values that the Harrison Central School District and Harrison Community hold for Husky Football- respect, commitment, accountability and development.
Volleyball
	Doug Zani, Head Coach zanid@harrisoncsd.org Coach Zani played soccer and volleyball growing up and continues to play volleyball in various leagues and tournaments. He joins the Husky coaching staff having coached club volleyball, and served as the JV and assistant varsity coach for Scarsdale High School. He is dedicated to developing every single player in the roster and believes communication is important so every player knows they are a part of unit and plays a very important role on the team. What gives him the most joy as a Harrison coach is how close and open to communication everyone is, starting from the athletic department to the kids and parents, everyone is really involved.
Boys Soccer
	Alejandro Galeano, Head Coach galeanoa@harrisoncsd.org Coach Galeano has coached and played soccer for many years, including 10 years with the National Premier Soccer League. Mr. Galeano played soccer at the college level and brings a deep level of expertise in and dedication to the sport. Coach Galeano believes how an athlete approaches practice impacts his attitude and performance in games. He sets high expectations for Harrison student athletes both on and off the field.

Field Hockey

Alison Daday dadaya@harrisoncsd.org

Coach Daday has coached Field Hockey at the high school level for more than 10 years. Ms. Daday began at the modified level and continued to play through college, where she received Division II NCAA Academic Honors. Ms. Daday also works as a health and student aide at Harrison Avenue Elementary School. Coach Daday trains student athletes to work hard and smart, help each other, remain positive and approach the field with a winning attitude to achieve excellence together as a team.

Girls Tennis

Ryan Celestine celestiner@harrisoncsd.org

Coach Celestine comes to Harrison with more than 12 years experience as a coach, and former Division 1 player. He is committed to teaching and guiding students to become the best athletes and humans possible. Coach Celestine believes the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing students grow on and off the court through both positive and negative outcomes.

Girls Soccer

Jon-Erik Zappala zappalaj@harrisoncsd.org

Coach Zappala has coached both boys and girls soccer for 23 years at the modified, JV and Varsity levels, and has played soccer for more than 30 years. Coach Zappala holds certifications including: Advanced National Diploma, United States Soccer Coaches; State and Regional Levels 1, 2 and 3; and Goalkeeping Diplomas. Mr. Zappala has taught in the Harrison Central School District for the past 18 years. Coach Zappala embraces the philosophy of sound mind, sound body and believes that to meet high expectations as a team, student athletes must respect themselves and others.

Cross Country

BonnieJean Gerhart gerhartb@harrisoncsd.org

Coach Gerhart brings many years of Cross Country experience to Harrison, having competed since middle and high school, where she won the sectional title three times. She also ran Division 1 Cross Country for Dartmouth College and was a member of the team that placed 4^th in NCAA competition. This is Ms. Gerhart’s first year as Head Coach; she served as the assistant cross country coach and assistant coach of distance running for the track team. Coach Gerhart believes athletes should have fun while learning to push themselves mentally and physically, and sees running as a way to challenge ourselves every day.

Girls Swimming

Phillip Dearstyne dearstynep@harrisoncsd.org

Coach Dearstyne has coached swimming for 27 years, and has spent the past 22 years coaching both the Girls and Boys Varsity Swim Teams in Harrison. Coach Dearstyne swam competitively through both high school and college. Mr. Dearstyne also has taught in Harrison for 20 years. Coach Dearstyne develops student athletes to work hard, train and become better prepared for life by engaging with teammates, by gaining physical and emotional maturity through competition, and by comprehending that there are no limits to their potential.

Cheer

Julia Brefere brefereju@harrisoncsd.org

Coach Brefere brings 10 years of coaching competitive cheerleading to the Harrison program, and has coached at the modified, JV and Varsity. Ms. Brefere cheered all four years while a student at Harrison High School as well as in college at the Division I level. Coach Brefere supports student athletes in their quest for constant growth, learning and camaraderie, and believes that great programs come out of a long journey of work, perseverance and dedication.